# Customer gives Target cashier a $100 gift card **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [December 21, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862 "2013-12-21T00:21:53Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/1 "2013-12-21T00:21:53Z")
No link yet; this happened today to one of my Facebook friends, a high school classmate. Several minutes later, the management pulled her off the lane and confiscated the card, stating that it was considered a tip, which is not allowed at Target. There was a story about a man who was going around town buying gift cards for employees, and she thinks it may have been him. Long story made short: She could really use that $100, and considered it a gift, not a tip. . Does anyone know what recourse she could have regarding this? Has anything like that ever happened to you, and what did you do about it? 😕 ---
**Author:** ![CatherineZeta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e95f7d/32.png) [@CatherineZeta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CatherineZeta)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/2 "2013-12-21T00:30:16Z")
Does your friend know what management did with the gift card? That would be horrible if the manager used it themselves, but I suppose they could have just thrown it away. Does Target have an anonymous phone line to HR? When I worked for Ann Taylor they had a hotline you could call if you had an HR related issue that you didn’t feel comfortable bringing up with management or if you felt management was being unresponsive. Target’s such a large corporation that they probably have something similar. Could your friend call and ask about policy for employees receiving gifts without revealing identifying details? She could make a decision then about pursuing this depending on the response she gets. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/3 "2013-12-21T00:48:22Z")
Your state has a department that enforces wage laws. It’s usually under the [State] Department of Labor. They should have a toll-free number, and possibly an internet form, for asking questions and making complaints. ---
**Author:** ![Tess\_Trueheart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Tess\_Trueheart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess_Trueheart)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/4 "2013-12-21T00:54:41Z")
I work for a big retail corporation (not Target) and was specifically told I can’t accept anything - tips, gifts, nothing. I’d love to take a gift card if offered, but I was told I couldn’t. I can only tell them, thanks but it’s not allowed, but you can fill out this online survey and say nice things. I assume Target has that rule, too, and I bet it was in their training or their employee handbook. At my childcare job, I can take baked goods and whatever the parents offer me, but not at megacorp, and it’s probably the same there at Target. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 12:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/5 "2013-12-21T00:58:07Z")
She accepted the card not knowing she wasn’t supposed to. ---
**Author:** ![Tess\_Trueheart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@Tess\_Trueheart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tess_Trueheart)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/6 "2013-12-21T01:07:14Z")
Of course… I still wonder if it was in her employee handbook, though. I’m totally on her side. Would be an excellent Christmas present (especially with her store discount). ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 3:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/7 "2013-12-21T03:50:52Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > She accepted the card not knowing she wasn’t supposed to. Welp, now she knows? ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/8 "2013-12-21T04:17:54Z")
It’s a shame she didn’t just quietly slip the card into her pocket. Does thinking that make me a bad person? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/9 "2013-12-21T05:01:17Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > It’s a shame she didn’t just quietly slip the card into her pocket. Does thinking that make me a bad person? It sounds like that’s exactly what she did, and got caught anyway, whether on a surveillance camera or by a manager who was close enough to hear their conversation. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/10 "2013-12-21T06:36:30Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > It sounds like that’s exactly what she did, and got caught anyway, whether on a surveillance camera or by a manager who was close enough to hear their conversation. I see. I had assumed, being a teenager, she did a bit of bragging to her co-workers and that’s how management found out. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 6:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/11 "2013-12-21T06:42:00Z")
Can the store legally confiscate her property? ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 6:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/12 "2013-12-21T06:44:22Z")
Yeah, companies have policies like this, and there’s a good reason for them. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 7:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/13 "2013-12-21T07:10:51Z")
> [@Honey](#): > > I see. I had assumed, being a teenager, she did a bit of bragging to her co-workers and that’s how management found out. This woman has a teenage GRANDdaughter. She’s in her early 50s. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/14 "2013-12-21T14:25:44Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > She accepted the card not knowing she wasn’t supposed to. Oh, then, never mind what I said about the Dept of Labor. I mean, she can call but they’re not going to have good news. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/15 "2013-12-21T14:32:09Z")
Still I’m sure that the whole experience will make her happier in her future work at Target and will probably be a powerful motivational tool for anyone working there. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/16 "2013-12-21T14:32:38Z")
> [@Leaffan](#): > > Yeah, companies have policies like this, and there’s a good reason for them. Which is what? ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/17 "2013-12-21T14:37:11Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Long story made short: She could really use that $100, and considered it a gift, not a tip. . > > Does anyone know what recourse she could have regarding this? Has anything like that ever happened to you, and what did you do about it? > > 😕 They would not take it from me, 1st one that laid their hands on me gets busted, taking it from me by force is assault. The girl should call Target HQ, demand return, or she calls the police and charges them with theft and a Civil suit proceeds. ---
**Author:** ![bienville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@bienville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bienville)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/18 "2013-12-21T14:37:50Z")
Policy is policy, especially if it’s in an employee handbook that she neglected to read (I’ve never had a job that didn’t have an employee handbook, and I’ve _never_ read one), but what I’m interested in is: does the gift-giver have any recourse? This is the kind of thing that can go viral on social media. Suppose the gift-giver found out that managment confiscated the card? Could the gift-giver demand that the card be returned to him (considering that company policy prohibits returning it to the employee)? I could imagine the gift-giver being quite upset at this news. ---
**Author:** ![lawbuff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/13edae/32.png) [@lawbuff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawbuff)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/19 "2013-12-21T14:41:00Z")
> [@bienville](#): > > Policy is policy, especially if it’s in an employee handbook that she neglected to read (I’ve never had a job that didn’t have an employee handbook, and I’ve _never_ read one), Policy and handbook spell outs are not relevant, Target had no legal right to take it. ---
**Author:** ![kayT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayt/32/3633_2.png) [@kayT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayT)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862/20 "2013-12-21T14:42:18Z")
It would seem to me that a prohibition on accepting tips in the handbook would justify firing the employee but not confiscating the tip. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/customer-gives-target-cashier-a-100-gift-card/676862.md?page=2)